Sandra Lee Jacobson’s complicated life took a dark turn Wednesday when two people died in a rollover crash she is accused of causing while under the influence of alcohol.
The 40-year-old Centennial woman once operated a multi-state pyramid scheme that involved 35,000 sales representatives who were promised six-figure incomes that never materialized. She was fined and banned from the marketing industry by the Federal Trade Commission in 2005.
Wednesday morning, a witness told police, Jacobson’s pickup side- swiped a Freedom Cab van on Peña Boulevard. The taxi van ran off the road and rolled down an embankment, throwing two women who were on their way to catch a flight at Denver International Airport.
Their names were withheld pending notification of family members.
Jacobson and a passenger fled and were found later about 10 miles away in a cargo area at DIA.
Jacobson faces two counts of vehicular homicide, one count of vehicular assault and one count of driving under the influence of alcohol, police said.
When officers caught up to Jacobson’s Ford pickup at the airport after the crash, she had “several” dogs unrestrained in the vehicle’s cab, said Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson.
Her passenger was not identified by police.
Jacobson has had a series of legal and financial troubles, including a personal bankruptcy in Denver last year.
Employees of her business, SLJ LLC, sold water filters, cleaning supplies, nutritional supplements and beauty aids, according to court documents filed by the state of Maryland, one of several states where her businesses operated, including Colorado.
A judge ordered her to pay $804,813 — the amount she earned in commissions from the pyramid scheme — but the fine later was reduced to $5,000 because of her financial condition, published reports stated.
The Denver coroner’s office is expected to identify the two out-of-town women today. One died at the crash site. The other died a short time later at University of Colorado Hospital.
The cabdriver was taken to Denver Health Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. He remained hospitalized Wednesday afternoon, said Virginia Baldwin, the assistant manager of Freedom Cab.
Neither the company nor police were identifying the driver.
“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the people who were killed and to our driver,” she said.
Baldwin said the driver had requested that his name not be released.
“He was the victim of an accident, and it’s been a traumatic ordeal,” she said. “We want to respect his privacy, protect him and let him get some rest.”
Joey Bunch: 303-954-1174 or jbunch@denverpost.com
